, 1887-02-10
ghe at'tehin &you9.
A Faithful Governor Good x Wor;.

III" following .S...t IL. Cleveland.
CO., NccS oll! Il,uiE. puhEal7. by
entire stranEorz u Governor Squire.
not only reveal tHr .-Gn.ta p.acci
upon his official actions hy Gi-:ater-
eSted judge. Lu. j. TcmarLaalv
clear and correct statement If the
whole case, We quote it cr..;rc, is q
matter of Ecnora! interest. Happily.
the ant-ChiGesa troubles arc over.
II the urgent appeals made by the
ARGUS Tor the better enforcement Of
the Restriction Act had been needed
no such unfortunate trouble would
have occurred Tie people were
goaded into unlawful means to cor
rect an evil. because of = law largely
tarcical aud iEopcrativc. When this
paper called loudly for moro customs
officers, there We're two Treasury
agents who reported against any IN
crease, and impuguei our motives.
But to the Ohio paper:
1t is not often that the government
printing office issues 4 document
which tells OF Official service as brave
and wise in the midst of great diff
culties, as that described in the an.
Dual report OF Governor Watson G..
6qulre, of Washington territory.
Without comment or establishment
he presents the mass OF tcl"gTaphic
and mail correspondence which
passed between himself ana local
lnthnrrffAs- 81 S..Ft1., FH,.r..,.-
other points, as Well as h!a Supporters
at Washington, relative to the Chi
ness disturbances il tie autumn OF
1885 and the winter Of 1856, and the
simple record shows q far more strik-
ing exercise Of tact, patience. and
courageous zeal in tho cause OF law
aud order than sufficed in larger
field of action to give Governor Rusk,
OF Wisconsin, national fame. From
the beginning OF the expulsion move.
ments the Governor was handicapped
IN his efforts to protect the Chinese
in their lawful rights by the fact
that the restriction act is more fre
Quently evaded and openly violated
in Washington territory than any
other state or territory. The revenue
service is totally inadequate to guard
the long coast line OF Puget Sound
and the British frontier, and the
people of Governors Squire's terri
tory are constantly exasperated by
The illegal entrance Of Chinese from
British Columbia. This materially
lessened the support which the better
class OF the community might other
wise have given in the protection of
such Chinese as were already in the
territory. With Il keen sense of
these facts Governor Squire antici-
pated the riotous outbreaks of the
lawless element with grave misgiv-
ings. Early in October. 1885, he
informed Secretary Lamar of the
violent speeches and threats made at
meetings of the Knights of Labor
and other anti-Chinese organizations,
and warned him that it would be
very difficult to enforce the law in
case of trouble, and suggested that
the President be kept Informed, in
order that troops might be used in
an emergency. Then, without wait
ing for instructions, the Governor
wrote urgent appeals to the shenfls
OF the two counties in which there
was greatest danger of violence, call
ing upon them, for the honor o. the
territory and the good name OF their
own counties, to do everything IN
their power to enforce the law with
out the aid of the military, which, he
informed them, he would use in case
assured him of their ability to keep
the peace and deprecated the use oi
extreme measures. 4 little later the
yigilant Governor wrote a second
time to each sheriff and to the mayors
of Seattle and Tacoma, informing
them that Secretary Bayard had been
addressed by the Chinese minister al
Washington on the subject of pro
lection to the Chinese in Washing
ton territory, and warning them that
the law must be enforced. There
upon twenty leading citizens of Ia
coma wrote to Governor Squire, de,
elaring that there was no danger OF
trouble. In spite of these assurances
early in November, 1885, Il mob
escorted" the Chinese out of Tacoma
and outbreaks were threatened al
Seattle and other points. The vail
ant and confident sheriffs and may
ors who had assured the Governor
that nineteen-twentieths of then
people would he on the~ side of Law
and order, began to confess theil
helplessness, and appeal fors aid
Then followed an extraordinary ordea.
for Governor Squire, who was equally
actiye in encouraging the civil
authorities, warning the people OF the
territory to obey the law, inpiorins
the authorities at the national capita
for aid, and directing the movements
Of the United States troops. In the
end, the President issued a proclama
tiOn, several companies of regulars
were sent to the disturbed districts
many riGgleaders of the mob were
arrested and quiet WAS restored.
Governor Squire promptly tool
advantage of this lulI to urge upon
the treasury department the need oi
better enforcing the Chinese restric
tion act, but lack of money prevented
any material improvement in thi.
resi- ect. Early IN February, 1886
the Trouble began atrcsh, Seattle
being the center of disturbance
Again the Governor was the life ant
soul of the law and tried at the same
to arOnse the law and order senti
ment Of the people, strengthen auC
encourage the civil authorities, reas
sure the terrified Chinese. induce
Secretaries BayGrd, Endigott, GnC
Lamar, and President Cleveland Il
lend him assistance Of troops, auC
prepare the army officers IN Ioca
command 10 act promptly and effect
lively when orders should como frou
Washington. The Governor pro
proclaimed martial law 1T Seattle
called ont the territorial militia. an,
pat himself at their head, and man,
aged 10 save the Chinese, though not
without blOOdsLsd, until the presenc,
ofTegulars. backing up d proclamation
from the president, ended tie troublr
FrOm the restoration Of quiet H. III,
latter part Of February. tLc Goyas
hors time fgr the Tgst rT tho year wi.
largely occupied Iu assisting tn,
Investigation q the ,uiT. -e- and /.
dealing with Chinese claims ful
indemnify Tlrr1f,t~Irf,t 1r, y,-..